Parasailing Pair
by FyoraHime
Summary: Ash and Serena try parasailing in Alola! Drabble request from dA: flying. Quick Amourshipping ficlet!


"Serena, you can look now!"

Hesitantly, the honey-blonde girl allowed one eyelid to flutter halfway. As soon as she took in the scenery, however, both eyes flung wide open. For a moment she just sat there with her eyes wide and her jaw hanging agape, seemingly at a loss for words. Ash leaned in closer to her, awaiting some sort of response. Right now, he wasn't sure if she was excited or terrified; if he had to guess, probably both.

"This is incredible!" she gasped at last, and Ash felt a rush of relief wash over him. After all, he was the one who had persuaded her that they take this adventure, so he would have felt awful if she ended up unhappy because of his suggestion. "It really feels like we're flying!"

The trainer turned his gaze back to the environment around them. Straight ahead, he saw the clear blue Alolan sky, and when he peered down, he saw a vast expanse of sparkling, crystalline water. The sea seemed to stretch on forever into a gorgeous, never ending horizon. Occasionally, speedboats or canoes would pop up into his range of vision. Excited cheers came from other nearby parasailing pairs, who were just as awestruck as he and Serena were.

"I see another island!" Serena pointed out eagerly towards her left, and Ash squinted as he tried to pinpoint its location. He could just make out some rocks and greenery in the distance, and he cried out when he spotted them.

"You're right!" Ash scanned their surroundings, wondering if any other islands were nearby. "Is that an island, too?" He pointed at a dark figure towards their right; if he wasn't mistaken, he could make out icy mountain caps on top.

"It must be!" Serena agreed, and she began to giggle in her amazement. The wind carried away some of the sound, but without a doubt, he could still pick up the rhythmic lull of her sweet, bubbly laughter.

Somehow, seeing her delight made Ash's heart swell with elation, and he began to laugh too. However, he stopped once he saw that tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. "Is something wrong?" he asked, puzzled. Wasn't she having a good time? Was she being kind for his sake, after all?

"I am! I am!" Serena shook her head rapidly and tried to laugh again, but her voice was trembling. "I was frightened at first, but this feeling is absolutely… magical." She turned her face directly into the breeze and gently closed her eyes. The wind whipped up her hair and threatened to set it spiraling into a mess, but instead, her short golden locks framed her face like a majestic eagle, soaring through the skies. "There's nothing like this in Kalos," she murmured thoughtfully. "I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to fly!"

The boy from Pallet Town nodded in agreement. "Not in Kanto, either. Is this what flying-type Pokémon get to see all of the time?"

Serena's eyes flew open and she turned to face him. "Don't you dare try to become a bird now, Ash Ketchum! We had enough trouble when you synchronized with Greninja all of those times." Her tone was stern, but also carried a teasing lilt.

"I haven't even caught any Pokémon here yet!" Ash countered, and then he began to chuckle self-consciously. "That does seem like something I'd do, though." Suddenly Serena burst out laughing, this time without any hints of fear in her voice or on her face. Her joy was contagious and her voice pulled him in, so that he ended up laughing with her once more. Upon closer inspection, he realized that she still had a couple of stray tears clinging to her eyelashes. Tenderly, the raven-haired lad reached out to brush them away. His friend seemed startled and flinched instinctively, but she didn't pull away. Hopefully she wasn't upset with him for doing that. "We're here to have fun, right? No tears!" he declared.

"I guess I did agree to come," the performer conceded with an exasperated sigh. She seemed to be joking with him though, for her eyes were twinkling with life and laughter. "We're still going shopping later, right? I'd love an authentic dress from Alola to wear in my next Showcase!"

Ash nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! And don't worry," he added as an afterthought. "I'll make sure we don't try anything _too_ dangerous." He grabbed her hand reassuringly. Why was it so warm? _'Her hands are always warm when I hold them. Her face, too. I guess it's because she's such a warm, caring person,'_ he decided. With an almost intimidating amount of determination in his voice, he told her, "I promise!"

He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never let Serena cry again because of him. Whether they were in Kalos, Alola, Kanto, or any other place in the universe, he intended on keeping that promise.

He was going to protect that smile. He was going to ensure that those blue eyes continued to sparkle brighter than the beautiful Alola sky.


End file.
